ASSEMBLY STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

ASSEMBLY, No. 6009

with committee amendments

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  DECEMBER 9, 2021

      The Assembly State and Local Government Committee reports favorably and with committee amendments Senate Bill No. 6009.

      Under current law, a person must pass the civil service examination prior to becoming eligible for employment as an entry-level county correctional police officer. 

      Under this bill, as amended, a county or municipal police department, county sheriff’s office, or a county correctional facility is permitted to recruit and employ a person as a provisional entry-level officer prior to taking the appropriate training course and such person will be exempt from taking the civil service examination for an entry-level officer position.

      The bill also, as amended, requires the person to successfully complete the appropriate training course within nine months from the date of hire and requires that, upon successful completion of the course, the person will be promoted from a provisional entry-level officer to an entry-level officer. The bill, as amended, permits a sheriff’s department to hire a person under the provisions of the bill upon adoption of an ordinance or a resolution by the governing body authorizing such hiring and the adoption of a conflict of interest and nepotism policy; and

      As amended, the bill also prohibits the use of the law to circumvent the intergovernmental transfer process and removes the current provision of the law permitting the exemption from the requirement to take the civil service examination for an entry-level law enforcement officer position for those persons who have successfully completed the required training course.

COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS

      The committee amended to the bill to:

      (1)  permit a county or municipal police department, county sheriff’s office, or a county correctional facility to recruit and employ a person as a provisional entry-level officer prior to taking the appropriate training course and such person will be exempt from taking the civil service examination for an entry-level officer position;

      (2)  require the person to successfully complete the appropriate training course within nine months from the date of hire;

      (3)  require that, upon successful completion of the course, the person will be promoted from a provisional entry-level officer to an entry-level officer;

      (4)  prohibit the use of the law to circumvent the intergovernmental transfer process;

      (5)  permits a sheriff’s department to hire a person under the provisions of the bill upon adoption of an ordinance or a resolution by the governing body authorizing such hiring and the adoption of a conflict of interest and nepotism policy; and

      (6)  removes the current provision of the law permitting the exemption from the requirement to take the civil service examination for an entry-level law enforcement officer position for those persons who have successfully completed the required training course.